Disabled women’s social history of institutionalisation and spatial segregation has, over time and space, set them apart from mainstream society and rendered them invisible in the spaces and places of everyday life. In more contemporary times, when disabled women ‘invade’ reproductive spaces, their presence as prospective parents, ‘becoming mothers’ or mothers, is often regarded as ‘out of place’. This study hence incorporates a historical review that traces the spatial realities of disabled women’s and girl’s lives between 1796-1910 in Glasgow and Edinburgh. This reveals the development of social stereotypes and misunderstandings of disabled women’s lives and bodies, particularly their assumed asexuality and inappropriateness for undertaking reproductive or mothering roles. Disabled women’s ‘voices’ are to the fore in the contemporary chapters of the thesis, reflecting the reproductive and non-reproductive experiences of 27 disabled women resident in the Glasgow and Edinburgh areas. These narratives offer an insight into the embodied experiences of ‘disability’ in private and public space. Being placed sexually ‘off limits’, and rendered ‘out of place’ in and by reproductive or mothering environments, constitute some of the social and spatial barriers to motherhood encountered by disabled women. It is hoped that this study contributes to the process of recovering the forgotten histories and neglected experiences of disabled women, particularly in terms of their social exclusion, infantilisation and desexualisation that have reduced disabled women’s participation in child-rearing and motherhood across time and space. The chronological framework of this study reveals slow but positive changes in social attitudes towards disabled women expressing reproductive choices, raising children and creating a ‘place’ for themselves as mothers in contemporary society.

This thesis explores responses to rape in the Acholi sub-region of northern Uganda, based on three years of participant observation plus in-­depth interviews with a random sample of 187 women from two villages. The issues examined lie at the intersection of two ongoing discussions in scholarship and practice and contributes to each of them: wrongdoing and justice, and sexual violence and rape. Northern Uganda is at the heart of international justice debates. Fierce controversy followed the 2005 announcement of the International Criminal Court’s intervention in ongoing conflict between the Lord’s Resistance Army and the Government of Uganda. Two opposing representations of Acholi society emerged: that Acholi were innately forgiving -­ able to deal with mass crime through traditional justice; or that they needed and often supported formal legal justice. But this missed crucial aspects of Acholi realities, which this study illustrates, most basically the profound value of social harmony, and a deep distrust of distanced authorities to dispense justice in their interest. Many scholars and practitioners assume that in the aftermath of crime, justice must be done. Amongst Acholi, I have found, the primary moral imperative in the wake of wrongdoing is not punishment of the perpetrator or individual victim’s rights but the restoration of social harmony. Experience of rape and harm it causes are predicated on understandings of wrongdoing related to challenges posed to social harmony. Similarly, an appropriate remedy depends not only on the act of forced sex itself, but also on the social role of the perpetrator and social context. This thesis adds empirical, locally-­grounded, and culturally-­specific evidence in support of a more complicated and nuanced explanation of rape and its aftermath than is familiar in the analytical/normative frameworks familiar in post-­atrocity justice debates or anti-­rape feminist activist discourse. It suggests reimagining the meanings of these phenomena along lived continuums: before, during and after war; and acknowledging the role of sex, power and politics in all sexual experiences on a spectrum of coercion and enthusiastic consent.

Vytautas Kavolis yra aktualizavęs tezę, kad požiūrio į moterį analizė yra svarbi ne tik socialinėms gyvenimo konkretybėms atskleisti, bet ir bendrosioms sociokultūrinėms bei sociopolitinėms laikotarpio tendencijoms išgryninti. Lietuvos istoriografijoje, nagrinėjančioje modernios visuomenės Lietuvoje formavimąsi XIX a. viduryje–XX a. pradžioje, itin daug dėmesio skiriama įvairių socialinių grupių sąmoningumo, aktyvumo visuomenėje žadinimui aptarti. Tačiau moters sąmoningumo konstravimas, jos socialinio vaidmens samprata šio laikotarpio viešajame diskurse Lietuvoje iki šiol išsamiau netyrinėti. Disertacijos tikslas – išanalizuoti moters socialinio vaidmens konstravimą viešajame diskurse XIX a. vidurio–XX a. pradžios Lietuvoje. Keliami uždaviniai išsiaiškinti: nuo kada viešajame diskurse XIX a. vidurio–XX a. pradžios Lietuvoje moteris pradedama vertinti kaip svarbi visuomenės procesų dalyvė; kokį moters socialinį vaidmenį XIX a. vidurio–XX a. pradžios Lietuvoje konstruoja skirtingų diskursų dalyviai; ar moters socialinio vaidmens konstravimui įtakos turi aptariamojo laikotarpio visuomenės sąranga ir jos pokyčiai; kiek ir kaip moters socialinio vaidmens konstravimą veikia pozityvizmo, nacionalizmo, liberalizmo, socializmo, krikščioniškosios demokratijos idėjų sklaida Lietuvoje. Tyrimas pradedamas XIX a. vidurio laikotarpiu, 5-uoju dešimtmečiu. Tuomet pirmą kartą modernėjančios Lietuvos istorijoje moteris tampa svarbiu ir populiariu viešųjų svarstymų objektu. Tyrimas baigiamas XX... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Vytautas Kavolis noticed that an analysis of the attitude towards women is important not only to reveal specific aspects of social life but also to distil out the general sociocultural and sociopolitical tendencies of a period. Lithuanian historiography that examines the formation of the modern society in the mid-19th – early 20th-century Lithuania is especially focused on the discussion of the awakening of consciousness and activity of the various social groups. But the construction of the consciousness of women and the conception of their social role in public discourse has hitherto not been investigated. The aim of this dissertation is to analyse the construction of the social role of women in public discourse in mid-19th – early 20th-century Lithuania. The main objectives are to ascertain: from when did women begin to be seen as an important participant in the social processes in the public discourse in Lithuania; what social role was constructed for Lithuanian women by the participants in the different discourses; whether the construction of the social role of women was affected by the structure of the contemporary society and the changes to this structure; how much and how the construction of the social role of women was affected by the spread in Lithuania of the ideas of positivism, nationalism, liberalism, socialism, and Christian democracy. The investigation begins in the mid-19th century, the 1840s. At that time women became an important and popular subject of... [to full text]

The growing complexity in working arrangements has made it difficult to target employment legislation effectively. Utilisation of the existing provisions of Community law requires a reorientation of the traditional conceptualisation of gender relations. This is possible through the application of broad principles, as provided for by the Treaty and the general scheme of Community law, to specific circumstances. The Court of Justice occupies a unique institutional position in this respect as the only authority capable of undertaking such a task coherently and consistently. This thesis considers the Court’s reasoning in a group of cases concerning the right to equal treatment of women workers classified as ‘atypical’ on account of their working arrangements. The purpose of the thesis is to uncover the extent to which the Court’s adjudications on cases referred under the Article 234 procedure can be characterised as having a common output amounting to an identifiable jurisprudence on gender relations. In order to accomplish this task, a systematic analysis of a range of cases conforming to certain specified criteria is undertaken through which the Court’s application of certain key principles is examined. The findings reveal inconsistencies in terms of the Court’s theoretical dogma and its conceptualisation of the basic tenets of equality which are not discernible from an assessment of its judgements alone. It is concluded that a reassessment of the relative positions and roles of women and men within contemporary society is required in order to enable a more effective application of the law in this respect, starting with the standardisation of ‘atypical’ working arrangements.

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how experiences of violence, which have been secret in the past, can be articulated that they may become resources for theological reflection and Christian action. The research technique employed is ethnography, which is used to uncover the violence experienced in the lives of Dalit Christian women in Kerala State of India. Part one of this thesis concerns methodology. Chapter two examines how other women theologians working amongst poor and marginalised women from non-western cultures have sought to make women’s experience visible and have emphasised its theological significance. This chapter explores what I can gain from the work of these women that will help me to develop my own research on Dalit Christian women. Chapter three describes the research setting by explaining the context for this research, the researched community of Dalits and the location, where Dalit women gathered together. This chapter demonstrates my relations, as an ethnographer, to Dalit Christian women who have converted to Christianity from the Pulaya caste. Finally, this chapter justifies the research strategies employed in this research. Part two of this thesis contains my field research. Chapter four is about meta-ethnography generated at a one-day seminar and two Bible studies. In chapter five Dalit Christian women, who are the survivors of various kinds of violence, tell their life stories in their own words. In this way Dalit women started to uncover the secret and hidden experience they had in the past. Part three of this thesis is the analysis of data and conclusion. Chapter six analyses the significant themes, which have emerged from my research into the life experiences of Dalit women. It demonstrates that Dalit women’s experience and the cultural traditions of Dalit community are important resources for the development of a Dalit Feminist Practical Theology. Finally, in the light of my research, I make concrete strategies for action that could bring hope and transformation in the lives of Dalit women who are experiencing violence.

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This study explores the meaning of female leadership in the New Testament by examining a random selection of women in the New Testament. In Chapter 2 a sociohistorical approach is utilised to examine women leaders in the in the ancient Greco- Roman world of the New Testament. The study reveals that though these societies were predominantly patriarchal, there were women leaders leading in various ways in different spheres of life (religious, political, intellectual, and in the home). Chapter 3 looks in more detail at a definition of 'leadership". The Kouzes & Posner’s (1995) model of leadership practices, based on research of how successful leaders operate, is used. The example of Jesus as the Master leader is explored against the six leadership practices, adapted for this study. It is clear that Jesus does reflect the five leadership practices proposed by Kouzes & Posner (1995). A sixth practice is added to the list as the study shows that a leader needs a leader - good followers make good leaders! Chapters 4-10 focus on the leadership practices of Mary the mother of Jesus, the Samaritan woman, Tabitha. Lydia, Priscilla and the four daughters of Philip. An examination of the socio-historical context and an analysis of key concepts in each pericope in which these women are mentioned, have been done. From the analysis it is clear that the leadership p r a c t i i of women, called "female leadership" in this study, point out leadership as 'influence" that is achieved in different practices. These leadership practices define female leadership in the New Testament The women are leaders, in some cases within the recognised positions and in other cases without the positions. / Thesis (Ph.D. (New Testament))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

In this thesis I advance a socio–representational perspective on sexual and reproductive health as constructed by indigenous Mexican adolescents. The social and psychological literature on health among indigenous populations and on adolescent sexual health is reviewed. It is argued that a socio–psychological perspective is needed to understand the resources through which contemporary indigenous youth, a population overlooked by research, make sense of their sexual and reproductive health. In generating the theoretical tools to tackle this issue, I adopt a dialogical approach to social representations theory to sharpen Jovchelovitch’s (2007) model of knowledge encounters by proposing a typology of potential outcomes of these encounters. The empirical research involved female and male indigenous adolescents in two social contexts: rural and urban. In–depth individual interviews, focus group discussions and unstructured observations were employed for data elicitation. Results from the interpretative thematic analysis performed are presented through a ‘funnelling’ approach whereby the interdependent engagements of indigenous adolescents with their social context, their partners and specific health beliefs are discussed by highlighting nuanced differences in relation to social context and gender. Key findings are related to the understanding of romantic relationships in terms of stability and continuity, which impacts on the way that sex and contraception are perceived and experienced. Results also reveal that, in dialogue with others, adolescents come to identify alternative ways of positioning themselves with regards to customary discourses about sexual health. Focus group discussions are further examined through a dialogical analysis of interactions that aim to identify, in sociodialogue, the outcomes of knowledge encounters initially proposed. A further data–driven outcome is subsequently added to the typology and analytical categories are refined. Implications for health promotion in terms of the reflexion entailed in dialogue are offered in the conclusion chapter.

This dissertation aims to oppose the assumption underlying many studies that the immediate post-war period was a `silent' time in which there were no signs that women were not generally content to follow the ideal of femininity, and that the feminist movement started suddenly in 1968. This thesis focuses on the dissenting voices which could be heard both in society and literature before 1968. Part I deals with the position of women in society between 1945 and 1968. It concentrates particularly on women at work and in the family. The fact that more married women than ever before entered the labour market after World War II contradicts the idea that British women in the '50s were mostly housewives. Furthermore, in spite of the apparent coming into existence of the so-called `affluent society', women had many reasons to feel dissatisfied. Women were mainly found in low-status and low-paid jobs, and in the family women had very little power, especially sexually and financially. This part of the thesis also deals with women in society who were expressing the discontent they felt. First of all, there were middle-class journalists (e.g. Stott) and sociologists (e.g. Gavron, Klein) who were registering women's dissatisfaction in their publications. Secondly, an outlet for grievances for women was formed by The Guardian's women's page (especially the letters section) which discussed many controversial issues. Part II deals with another group of middle-class women who turned to the problematic position of women in society in their publications, eight British women novelists who started writing in this period. This part discusses the lives of Doris Lessing, Iris Murdoch, Muriel Spark, Penelope Mortimer, A.S. Byatt, Margaret Drabble, Edna O'Brien and Beryl Bainbridge, with particular reference to their emergence as writers. The biographical section refers to interviews as well as to letters to the author. The final part of the dissertation discusses several novels by each writer. There are three main themes which recur again and again in these novels, the search for an identity (a female form of the Bildungsroman is very popular), the restrictive influence of the family on the heroines, and the importance of work for the self-esteem of many of the female characters.

Melodrama does not only point to a type of aesthetic practice but also to a way of viewing the world. This thesis is inspired by the idea proposed by Christine Gledhill (1988) that at the core of cultural negotiation in melodrama is gender representation which is the cultural product resulting from the linking of textual and social subjects. Central to this negotiation is the figure of the woman which has long functioned as a powerful and ambivalent expression of the male psyche. In the context of Malaysian cinema, film critics and reviewers tend to use the term ‘melodrama’ in the pejorative sense, usually referring to female-centred films. What is significantly comparable between Western and non-Western perceptions, however, is that melodrama is examined in terms of gender, class, and more recently, race and ethnicity. This thesis examines the construction of female protagonists, within the backdrop of both urban and rural settings, through the use of melodrama as an aesthetic mode in selected Malaysian-Malay films from the early 1990s to 2009. The general approach is the employment of textual analysis based on concepts of film melodrama and informed by contextual information and social history. Thematically, Malaysian-Malay films of the period between the early 1990s and 2009 that focus on female protagonists largely depict the woman in the capacity of independent-minded personas negotiating patriarchal rules in the pursuit of vocational, romantic, and sexual emancipation. This typology of female protagonists comprises the urban, the romantic and the sexual woman. The problematisation of the female protagonist in this manner reveals the dimensions of social change and defines the new role of women in Malaysia’s market economy from the 1990s to the new millennium.